


Christmas Break Chaos

by catchingdragons



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adopted Teddy, Christmas With Family, Multi, Potter Family, Weasley Family, potter kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catchingdragons/pseuds/catchingdragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost Christmas and 15-year-old Teddy has come home for Winter Break. What awaits him is the usual; annoying siblings, absent parents, chaotic family gatherings and lots and lots of untamed cousins. Merry Christmas indeed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming home for Christmas

The house looks peaceful sitting there between the trees of North Wood by Winterton-on-Sea. Slowly the snow settles on the grey tiled roof of the large cottage as the last of the lights on the second floor are turned off and there is nothing indicating someone's still awake but the flickering light shining out through the floor-length living room windows.   
For a moment the warm light turns a green colour and a figure steps out of the fire place. Gracefully as ever Harry Potter hits his toe right against the wooden wheel of Lily's balance bike before he is even fully out of the fire place. A loud swearword escapes his mouth before he can stop himself.  
“Well, that makes a full 5 Sickles for the Swear Jar, Mr Potter.” Ginny grins at him as she enters the room. When she takes a look at the clock on the mantelpiece she becomes sober. “And you also owe me for being late again.”  
“I- I'm sorry, Gin. Honestly.” Harry runs a nervous hand through his more than messy hair. It had been a trying day at work for him. It started with an interrogation of a ministry worker who was believed to sell informations to the Prophet that seemed to never end. When it finally did, Harry and Ron were none the wiser on the delicate subject and decided to act upon the principle innocent until proven guilty. After lunch the day went on with piles of paper work for Harry to write and an even larger pile of files to view. He was almost on his way home when an urgent owl from Kingsley's secretary came in and he was summoned to the minister's office. “Kingsley had an emergency and needed me to take one of his meeti-”  
“Don't tell me, Harry. I think Teddy was more disappointed than I was- although I could have done with your help.” She sighs as she starts picking up the toys that are scattered across the living room. “The boys were so excited for Teddy to come back home that I couldn't keep them occupied for 10 minutes.”  
A cry fills the room just when Harry vanishes his work robes with a quick flick of his wand. He winces at the shrill sound. “I hate this baby alarm charm.”  
“I'll get Lily, you go see Teddy.” Deciding against tidying the rest of the room by hand, Ginny swerves her wand across the room, making the mess disappear. “Meet me back here?”  
“Yes, I'll be down soon.” Harry kisses her cheek. Parting ways, Ginny walks into the hallway leading to Lily's room that's located right next to their bedroom. Harry takes the stairs to the second floor where the boys' rooms are. Quietly he walks past his two younger sons' ajar bedroom doors and knocks on the one that is completely closed at the end of the hallway.  
When no answer comes back, Harry gingerly opens the door. “Ted?”Again silence is all he gets to hear. He lets out a heavy sigh and turns on the light in the room. His eyes need a moment to adjust to the brightness before he sees Teddy lying uncharacteristically still in his bed. Harry chuckles. “I know you're not asleep.”  
“Can I help you with something?” Teddy's voice is muffled by the blanket he pulled over his head. The unusual harshness in his sentence makes Harry's stomach turn.  
“I wanted to see you; say goodnight; you know.” Frowning at the fact that Teddy still has his back to him, Harry sits on the end on the bed and tugs at the blanket. “I haven't seen you for a few months. Would be nice to see your face, Ted.”  
“I'm tired.”  
“Come on, as if you're going to sleep anytime soon. You'd never sleep on your side anyway.” Harry rubs Teddy's leg through the blanket. “That's how I knew you weren’t sleeping. You sprawl across the bed like the bloody Giant Squid when you are.”  
“Yeah well at least I don't snore like a sodding troll.” Ted still keeps his head under the cover, but there's a smile evident in his voice. Not a time to be demanding, Harry decides. He would take what he could get.  
“No, you don't.” If Ron could hear him now, he would call Harry's voice something along the lines of soppy. Ginny too probably. “I'm sorry I wasn't there to pick you up, mate. Kingsley had an emergency at home so I had to take over a meeting for him.” He repeats his apology to Ginny earlier. “I had to do that, you know, as second in command.”  
“S'okay.” The edge in Teddy's voice is gone completely now. Inwardly Harry is really relived Teddy seems to understand.  
“It's not, but thanks. I'll make sure I get the day off when you go back to Hogwarts.” The bedsprings squeak when Harry gets up. “Night, mate.”  
When Harry reaches for the doorknob and turns to switch off the light, Teddy's voice fills the room. “Love you, dad.”  
“I love you too, Ted.” Smiling he turns of the light. “Don't stay on the laptop too long okay. Your mum will have my head when she finds out I didn't take it away from you.”  
“How did you--” Teddy gasps when Harry refers to the family's laptop that lies hidden under the blanket with himself. Normally it is off-limits for the kids after 8 in the evening, but seeing as it is Teddy's first night of break Harry decides to let it slide.  
“I'm your dad, I know stuff. Just don't tell mum, yeah?”

Ginny is already curled up in a blanket when Harry enters the living room. Silently she lifts the fabric and lets her husband snuggle up to her on the cosy sofa.  
“Talked to Teddy, did you?” She takes a sip from her wine than passes the glass to Harry.  
“Yeah, he's almost asleep. Tired from the train ride and all.” Ginny leans her head on his shoulder and smiles.  
“I love Christmas. Having Teddy home and all.”


	2. Lunch At The Burrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday Family Lunch is always peachy..

In Teddy's mind there are few things worse than Waking Up Early On Breaks. Not doing so on his own accounts is somewhere between Dying and Being Burnt By One Of Uncle Charlie's Dragons. Obviously he is rather grumpy when he walks down the stairs to the kitchen with James trailing after him chatting away about stupid new child-jokes at Uncle George's shop.  
“Aunt Angie was freaking out! But it was so worth it, I mean, Freddie and I aren't allowed at the joke-shop for awhile, that's bollocks. but Rox' face was priceless. You should've seen it Teddy!” His little brother is way too excited and happy for Teddy's liking. No person should be as hyper as James is this early in the morning. Dad is probably not even off to work yet. “Maybe we can go to Freddie's later, yeah Teddy? That would be brill!”  
“Jamsie, stop chewing Ted's ear off.” Harry stands leant against the kitchen worktop when his two oldest kids come in. He takes a sip of his coffee and glances at the clock on the microwave. “Why are you even up?”  
“This little beast woke me.” Teddy lies flat on his back on the kitchen bench and closes his eyes. Yes, it is definitely too early.  
“We talked about this, James. No waking Teddy up before mum tells you to.” With a swish of his wand Harry makes two mugs of cacao pour themselves. He smiles when James looks at him with a genuinely sorry expression.  
“Sorry, dad. I was just really excited! I couldn't sleep any more.” Harry knows James that. The last few days all James could talk about was what he would do when Teddy came back. There are about a million things the younger of the brother has planned for the two to do.  
“I know, mate. Why don't you drink your chocolate and go watch some TV? Mum's still asleep and I'd like you to be quiet so she doesn't wake up before Lily does, okay?” Teddy still lies across the bench not responding, but James nods enthusiastically. Harry gives his younger son a kiss on the forehead before leaving for work. “See you later at the Burrow for lunch, boys.”

Lunch at the Burrow is a regular Sunday Family Event. Every Sunday the whole extended family gathers at the Weasley's childhood home for lunch and activities. This Sunday is the first day back home for the Christmas break for Teddy, 13-year-old Victoire and twins Molly and Lucy. Grandma Molly decided it should be a special welcome home feast which makes the whole thing even more chaotic than usual.  
When Teddy gets out of the fireplace in the living room of his grandparents home he was met by a noise level challenging the one of a Quidditch stadium at the worldcup. One of the two plush sofas on the right hand are occupied by his cousins Roxanne and Claire while the other one is used as changing table by his Aunt Angelina changing 3-year-old Benjamin's nappy. On the big carpet in front of the wireless he makes out Rose and Louis who are having a rather intense game of wizarding chess. Most of the family seems to be in the kitchen already.  
The first to notice him is his very pregnant Aunt Audrey. “Teddy, dear. How are you?”  
“Fine, thanks.” He remembers to move out of the way right on time so his little brother Albus can fall out of the grate and onto the soot-covered floor. Teddy helps him up and out of his jacket before the little boy dashes away towards his beloved Rosie. Behind Teddy James floos into the room.  
“Ted, you seen Freddie yet?” Clearly this boy loves Fred as much as Albus loves Rose.  
“No, maybe he's with Grandpa in the tool shed?” Teddy shrugs. His Aunt Angelina finishes putting Ben's pants back on and jumps in for him.  
“Fred's upstairs with Charlie.” And already James jumps up the stairs crying out to his other self. Angelina shoots Teddy a look. “Merlin help your Uncle if he's brought them another of these bloody Mini-Dragons.”  
“Teddy! Teddy!” Little Benjamin stands in front of his cousin holding his arms out for Teddy to pick him up. After abandoning Albus' jacket on one of the armchairs by the fire he swoops the little red-headed boy up and blows a raspberry on the kids cheek. Ben squeals loudly.  
“Ted, move a bit would you. Your sister is quite heavy.” Ginny lets Lily down when Teddy makes a step to the side and lets Benjamin down as well. Before her mum can get her out of the jacket the little ginger girl has joined Ben and runs off into the kitchen. Ginny rolls her eyes and turns to Angelina. “Want a wine as much as I do?”  
“Do you have to ask?” And gone are his mother and his aunt too. Teddy yawns and follows them into the spacious but full kitchen. He sees Victoire sitting on the worktop tasting the gravy. She sees him too and holds the spoon she's holding out to him. Just as Teddy makes his way over to her to taste too, there's a bang coming from upstairs. Intuitively half the kids downstairs yell “WASN'T ME” and Ginny groans. Angelina nudges George. Grandma Molly stems her hands on her hips.  
And then all hell brakes lose. Ginny yells to James he better not have broken anything or else. George is on his way upstairs to see what is going on. Grandma Molly threatens to hex Charlie into next year if he blew up another room. And while Teddy and Victoire munched a few bacon bits Harry and Uncle Ron enter the scene through the back door.  
Teddy grins at Victoire. He loves Sunday Family Events. The family is loud, chaotic and anything but calm, but it’s his family and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th Advent people! Can't wait for Christmas :)


	3. Brotherly Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albie can be the broom carrier and James wins at Wizard Skittles.

The day between Sunday and Christmas Eve is beginning rather late for Teddy. Ginny threatened to take away James broom if he dares to wake Teddy again before the teenager decides to rise on his own accord. Luckily for Teddy that worked to keep his little brother away from his room.  
That's why it's almost lunchtime when Ginny meets her oldest son on her way towards Albus room.  
“Morning.” His voice is still croaky from sleep. Yawningly he runs a hand through his dark-red hair.   
“Good morning.” Ginny smiles affectionately at the boy. Especially after he just wakes up he looks the spitting image of Remus with a dash of Tonks because his hair is almost never the same colour. When he was baby and still lived with his grandmother Andromeda told Harry that she thinks his hair colour varies according to the dream he had at night. “How'd you sleep?”  
“Okay.” Teddy isn't a chatty person after waking up which is why Ginny gives him a soft pat on the shoulder and tells him to go downstairs to see what his siblings are up to.  
It's not hard to find the trio, because the noise they cause can probably be heard in London. When Teddy walks into the living room the first thing he sees is Lily sitting on top of the bok shelf. Before he can even utter the question how in Merlin's Name the two-year-old got up there, a wooden Clabbert is armed at his nose. He catches the toy and throws it onto one of the two sofas and glares at James.  
“Good catch, Teddy! See, Albie that's why he's a chaser and you're not.” James professes to his younger brother. “Maybe you can be our broom-carrier when I get to be the seeker on Gryffindor team.”  
“I will be the Seeker, James! Mum said I can be if I want to!” Albus stomps his foot and glowers at James. “Right Teddy?”  
“Yeah, right.” Teddy isn't really following the fight that arises before his eyes. He makes his way through the maze of toys on the floor over to his giggling sister. She smiles happily upon seeing her oldest brother and holds out her arms so he can lift her off the bookshelf. “Now, how did you little Harpy get up on the highest bookshelf in the room?”  
The little red-head giggles and bops up and down on Teddy's arm. Lovingly he presses his lips to her head and turns around to his brothers. What he sees is not abnormal for the two younger boys. James, the heavier and taller one of the two sits on his 6-year-old brother and pulls on his black hair while screaming that as a squib, Albus will never be a Seeker. Teddy debates a moment whether to break up the fight or let the two settle it themselves. Neither happens because Ginny chooses that moment to reappear from upstairs.  
“Merlin's Pants, boys. Can I not leave you two alone for a minute without you trying to kill each other?” Irritated she grabs James by his shirt. “No more visiting Fred later for you. You can stay here and play with Lily while Albus gets to go to Grandma's with Rosie.”  
“But muuuuuum--” Ginny interrupts James' objection with a look that rivals grandma Weasley's.  
“No. I don't want to hear why it's unfair, James. Go wash your hands, lunch is ready.” When both James and Albus quietly shuffle out of the room Ginny turns to her other two children. “And what did you do? Watch and enjoy the show?”  
“Actually I was getting Lily here down from the bookshelf.” Teddy nods his head towards the big, old bookshelf Harry and Ginny bought on their honeymoon in Italy.   
“What? How did she get up there?” He could see she was as perplexed as he had been.  
“I don't know. She just sat there when I came in.” Teddy answers curtly. He hates when Ginny turns her anger on him. It's not his fault the two bloody idiots always fight. As if on cue James and Albus appear in the doorway, both wet from a water fight in the bathroom. Without further reprimand Ginny shoos her kids into the kitchen.

 

In the afternoon the house is eerily silent. Albus went to the Burrow with Rose as planned and Lily is still sleeping in her bedroom. For a moment Ginny wonders if she should see what Teddy and James are doing because it's far too quiet. But with a glance at the book she's reading she decides against it and re-immerses into the story. Only 20 minutes later the familiar sound of the baby alarm charm disturbs Ginny's well-earned peace. She sighs and goes to get her daughter.  
When she is back with Lily in her arms, not quite 15 minutes later, the boys are sitting on her previous spot playing a round of wizard Skittles. It seems Teddy is losing, but Ginny attributes that to Teddy being a nice big brother rather to James being better at the game. With a wry smile on her face she wonders why Ted and James always seem to get along when James and Albus seem to never stop fighting. They love each other, she knows that. But why can they not show that in another way as biting, scratching, hitting or almost drowning the other boys?  
She is torn out of her thoughts by Lily struggling to get out of her arms. Ginny lets the little one down and sits on the armchair to watch the boys play while Lily empties her box of toys across the floor again.  
After James won the game and did his little winner-dance, he decides the snow has finally ceased enough to go outside. Ginny agrees.  
“Put on your boots, Jamsie. Your trainers will soak through.” Before Ginny has even found Lily's hat and gloves James and Teddy are already outside. She hurries to bundle Lily up as warm as possible and then slips into her own jacket and gloves before joining the boys outside.  
The group happily spends their afternoon in the snow, building snowmen and sliding down the small hill Ginny conjures out of nothing. By the beginning of dusk Hermione stops by to drop off Albus, but after some pleading the kids have her lured into a Mummies against Kids snowball fight.  
Ron and Harry later find Ginny and Hermione wrapped in a blanket talking on the sofa by the fire with all six kids spread across the floor asleep.


	4. Christmas Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of christmas trees and presents..

When Harry comes back from the Ministry Tuesday midday he almost stumbles over Albus who's sitting in front of the fireplace. “Are you sitting comfortably then?” He mutters as he steadies himself and shakes the soot off of his robes.  
Albus looks up and smiles at Harry. Once again it strikes Harry how much his son looks like himself. All the kids have different eye-colours, and even though Albus who has his father's unruly black hair and the Potter-Nose is the only of the three to inherit his maternal grandfather's blue eyes, something Harry loves about his middle child. When excited like now, his eyes always seem especially bright which remids his father often of Ron, Albus' godfather. “Dad, mum said you'd come home soon! Now we can finally decorate the tree! MUM! Dad's home!”  
Without giving Harry time to say something the boy scampers out of the living room. Before following Albus into the kitchen where Harry's sure the kid is going, he vanishes his work robe and shoes. Only now he notices the rather impressively big fir that sits in the corner of the uncharacteristically tidy living room.  
“How did you get that monstrous tree into there?” He asks his wife who's just setting the table for lunch when he comes into the Cottage’s kitchen. Lily is sitting on the floor next to Albus who seems to be entertaining his little sister with a Chocolate Frog Card showing one of their relatives.  
“Isn't it a beauty?” Ginny grins at Harry. “Teddy went into the woods with dad and got it so I could stay home with Lily. She's been a little grumpy today.”  
“My Lily? My little Lily-Flower was grumpy today?” With a smile he leans down and swoops Lily from the floor and into his arms. “Are you a grumpy little witch today?”  
Lily laughs happily when her daddy blows a raspberry on her cheek and kisses her. Harry shakes his head when he turns back around to Ginny. “See, mum. No grumpy Lily in sight.”  
“No, of course she's not with you, Mr Chosen-Favourite-Parent.” Between her putting the last dish onto the table and turning around to the stove Harry catches Ginny rolling her eyes and grinning. “Go get the boys from James' room, why don't you?”

 

“Hey. HEY! Stop throwing. James! We don't play Quidditch with the bloody Christmas decoration!” The living room looks a right mess. Lily is happily sitting on the floor between the self-made decorations for the windows while Albus and James keep throwing the baubles back and forth. Ginny is standing a few feet away keeping an eye on her kids while trying to help Harry and Teddy draping the lights around the tree.  
“Okay, that looks fine. Jamsie, Al, you can put the bauble onto the tree now.” Ginny motions for the two boys to start decorating the tree as Harry steps next to her and kisses her temple.  
“I'll make us a cuppa. Do you want to put Lily down before church?” Instead of getting an answer from his wife, James interrupts.  
“Aw dad, do we have to? I don't want to go to church.” The 8-year-old whines and looks at his dad with his big, blue, pleading eyes. It is Ginny who replies.  
“We're going, James. And no, I'll leave Lily be and hope she falls asleep during the mass.” The Potters' most important tradition for christmas is the church attendance at Parish Church of St. Clementine at Godric's Hollow. Following this the family visits the adjoining graveyard to put down flowers at Lily and James' grave. Ginny and Harry started doing so the first year following the war when everything was still a mess. For Harry especially this tradition of wishing his parents happy Christmas and showing his kids where he came from means a great deal.  
“But the church take sooo long.” Again James whines and pleads with his father. “It's so boring too. Isn't it, Albie?”  
“I like going to church.” Albus answers honestly without taking his eyes off of the bauble he has just placed on one if the tree's branches. Ginny watches Harry scarper into the kitchen. She knows how important it is to him but she also knows he would never force the kids to join him, an after-effect of his rotten childhood. But she would.  
“It's a bad job trying to get out of it, Mr. You'll have to come with us, no matter how much you whine and huff.”

 

Upon returning from Godric's Hollow, Christmas starts for the Potters. Ginny charms the kitchen utensils to prepare dinner for the family while it's time for the kids to open their presents.  
James and Albus eagerly throw themselves at the piles of presents that magically appeared under the tree during their trip to Harry's birthplace. For each kid there's a pile of differently wrapped presents. While Teddy's presents are all gold and red, Albus' pile is dominated by bright-green and James' wrapping paper varies between blue and turquoise. Only Lily's rather small pile of presents is printed with colourful figures and pictures.  
“Can I go first? Please, mum?” James jumps up and down excitedly holding the biggest of his presents. Ginny smiles and leans into Harry who sits on the floor next to Teddy and has a half-asleep Lily on his lap.  
“Go ahead, love.” She smiles even more when James squeals happily upon seeing what he got. The brunette boy with the wonderful blue eyes grins joyously at his very own broom. Against better judgement Ginny and Harry decided a starter broom, alas one that doesn't go higher than 1.3 meters, would be okay for James to learn flying safely with one of them around. Only after purchasing the gift Ginny thought of all the injuries her son has managed to suffer on the ground and what would happen if he was up in the air?  
“This is brill! Now I can play real Quidditch on a real broom! Look Albie! My own broom!” Harry laughs at James excitement.  
“Only if one of us is around though, okay? No flying unless mum or I are with you.” James nods and hugs the wooden handle of the broom to his scrawny chest.  
“Okay, yes. This is the best Christmas ever! Oh I hope Freddie got one too! Did he dad? Can I firecall him and see if he did?”  
“No, not tonight. You will see him tomorrow at the burrow anyway. Right now, it's Albus turn and he wants you to be here and pay attention to what he got too.” Harry hands his younger son a rather large present and smiles. Albus grins and shreds the paper within seconds. When he sees the 6-year-old's face he explains. “It's a orrery to put on your desk. It changes with the solar system in real time and if you whisper the right words it will expand so your whole room turns into a planetarium.”  
“That's cool.” Albus, always less outgoing than his brother, looks chuffed. “So, there's going to be stars in my room? Can I touch them?”  
“Sure you can.” Ginny looks at her two boys lovingly.  
“Now, Teddy. Big present or small present first?” Harry grins at the teenager who shrugs. “Alright, small one then.”  
And it is small. Harry hands Teddy a little envelope which the 15-year-old swiftly opens. “Tickets for the world cup next summer.” He grins happily. “I bet none of my dormmates got something so neat!”  
“It's Bulgaria against England. And we'll stay the whole time to the final, because mum is covering that match for the Prophet. But Bulgaria against England is just you and me.” The tickets were Harry's idea. The family would be going to the cup anyway, but he liked the idea of travelling to Norway a little earlier and spending time alone with Teddy.  
“Thanks, dad.” Teddy stands and hugs Harry which brings tears to Ginny's eyes. The boy usually refuses to show too much affection, because he is too old now and it's uncool to be seen being hugged by their parents. The little moment is disturbed by James demanding to be allowed to open his next present.


End file.
